UPA panel to meet on 31 July on Telangana

The Congress leadership has made up its mind to create the separate state of Telangana. But for a last minute roll-back, the road map is ready to bifurcate the state of Andhra Pradesh. The decision could be announced at the meeting of the UPA coordination panel on 31 July.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi, sources said, has refused to come under the pressure of Andhra chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, who held out the threat of resignation if asked to preside over bifurcation in his meeting with the party boss last Friday. The six union ministers from the Rayalseema and Andhra regions, who met the prime minister to stall the move, also seemed to have failed to check the momentum which the pro-Telangana lobby has now gained.

Sources said the division of the state could be on the agenda of the union cabinet on 5 August. The monsoon session of parliament commences on 6 August and with the principal opposition BJP having indicated its willingness, the new state could come into existence around Independence Day. However, the BJP, which doesn’t stand to benefit much electorally by supporting the move, may throw a spanner by disrupting parliamentary proceedings on one ground or other.

With Kiran Kumar Reddy having already resigned, a new chief minister for integrated Andhra Pradesh to oversee the process of bifurcation could be appointed or else the Centre could also go for clamping President’s rule till the process of bifurcation is completed.

Among the salient features of the new state could be making the present capital of unified Andhra Pradesh a union territory. Hyderabad is likely to act as joint capital of the two states for five years and will administered by a lieutenant governor.